Unfortunately, smart gadgets bring a security risk with them. Many smart gadgets ship with little to no encryption on communication, which lets hackers take them over or spy on them. Others might ship with security flaws that let a hacker bypass the built-in security.

In mid-2015, for example, a security company called Tripwire found flaws in three smart-gadget hubs from SmartThings, Wink and Vera Control. The flaw let hackers spy on the information the hubs were sending and receiving, or take control. The companies fixed the problems very quickly, but this is a common theme in smart gadgets so far.